Can we keep him?
by herochan1313
Summary: After an act of kindness towards a forgotten friend Nanako finds that even without her big bro she always has someone beside her... even if it's someone furry.
1. Chapter 1

After watching episode 13 of the anime this idea came to mind, so why not write it?

Herochan1313 doesn't own persona 4 just plot.

Nanako never thought about having a pet before; mostly due to have always been alone in the Dojima household before her big bro

came, but that was before she met Kitosune. Way back during the summer break of 2011 Nanako had met the strange apron wearing

fox during a rainy day. Feeling sorry for the poor little thing she had given it her treasured Loveline umbrella to protect it from the cold

( unknown to her however her brother Yu had found the fox with it and after many wacky summer events had helped return the

umbrella.) After lying to her then distant father about it she decided to play detective herself due to her brother's strange behavior.

After that was all said and done she was amazed to meet up with the fox who returned her umbrella to her (not the same one as her

old one had been destroyed.) and she had wondered about the fox ever since. Once certain events later down the year happened she

temporally forgot about her apron wearing friend. However once she had returned home from the hospital on the last day of her big bro

had in Inaba he had told her something rather odd.

"You know, what has the fox been up to?"

"You mean the fox that I gave my Loveline umbrella to big bro?"

Yu nodded at this and continued his thought.

"Yes. I know it lives at the shrine but…how cares for it?"

Because of this Nanako's interest in the fox was rekindled and the very next day she set out to find the furry shrine guardian. She

didn't have long to wait as the second she stepped near the holy place she heard a familiar yip below her. She looked down and sure

enough there was the brown furred creature below her as if it had been waiting for her. She smiled and knelled down to pet the animal

as she said.

"Hello Mr. Fox! Sorry I haven't visited in a while."

As if to accept the little girl's words the fox yapped again and ran around her les as it had done to her brother long ago. Nanako

laughed at the creatures "dance" and looked around the poorly kept shrine. It had been made more popular thanks to the efforts of her

brother true. But it still wasn't enough to keep the place from looking run-down. Nanako frowned at this and a thought occurred to her,

she was always alone in the house like the fox at the shrine. So why not use spare time to try and help make her little friends home a

better place. As if reading her mind the fox started to rub against her legs and Nanako patted it's head again as she said goodbye to it.

Later, as the young Dojima went to Junes to do her daily shopping she ran into someone who was sure to help her with her fox

problems. As she got her dinner ingredients she noticed the ever goofy Teddie in the grocery department trying to get free food.

"Nana-chan! Greetings to you!"

The bear/human said as soon as he noticed his friend/playmate. She returned the greeting and then asked him if he knew the fox.

"Fox? Oh you mean the one sensei helped out?"

She nodded and began to explain all about the poor conditions of the fox's home and asked if the bear could think of ways to help.

"Hmm….that's a beary hard question! Maybe Youske can help!"

Without another word Nanako followed the bear to the grill area to find Youske and hear his take. Once they did find him, and he

stopped whining at Teddie, he listened to Nanako's story and came up with an idea.

"Well… if you want to make the shrine look good… how about I call everyone up and we can help you clean it up?"

The answer must have been good because he was suddenly attacked-hug by the little girl and she warmly told him.

"Thank you so much Youske!"

Both Youske's and Teddies' heart melted at this sight and before long the whole gang was together to hear her out.

"Um… well I want to help make have a better home!"

Upon hearing little Nanako's wish the group was more than willing to help out.

"You wanna help that fox? Well it did help save our asses more than once."

"How cute! The inn might have some things to make his bedding cozier!"

"I guess we do owe it…after all without the fox I'd never eat steak again!"

"How apropos that we help the one thing that we relied on besides senpai."

Nanako smiled at the kindness of her brothers friends… no, her friends.

A plan to meet on Sunday was formed and everyone promised to bring one item for the fox. Nanako went home happy that day and

after going over it with Dojima she happily fell asleep.

Sunday came fast and soon Nanako was amazed as she saw all of Yu's friends already at the shrine ready to get to work. Kanji had a

bunch of rags in hand, Chie had already started hammering in loose nails, Youske was helping move the fox, Yukiko was rushing about

with pails of hot water, Rise was talking to the shrine keeper, and Naoto was…. Watching the area.

"Alright! Let's clean all this up for Nana-chan!"

Teddie said as the work got underway. It was hard work: scrubbing, fixing, moving heavy things so they let Kanji and Youske do most

of the work.

"Hey! Why isn't Ted helping us too? Last time I checked he was a guy too!"

At hearing this predictable rant from Kanji the girls chuckled and Rise asked.

"And how'd you check that Kanji?"

As expected that comment got the punk looking boy to enter his berserker state and Nanako laughed as she watched him chase Rise

around the shrine. Before they knew it the shrine was no longer a rundown mess. Nanako couldn't believe the way her friends had

helped her and she watched as the Fox danced around his new home. But like most dreams it had to end with no one wanting it to.

_While this is a one shot I'm splitting it into chapters so as to help write it. Untill next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

**After watching episode 13 of the anime this idea came to mind, so why not write it?**

**Herochan1313 doesn't own persona 4 just plot.**

It was the dead of night when Nanako was awoken to the sound of her father's voice.

"A fire! And right after she worked so hard…..damn bastards!

Apparently Dojima was on the phone and had been told that a bunch of hoodlums had set fire to the newly rebuilt shrine. He hadn't meant to awaken Nanako

with the news but soon she was tiptoeing towards her father with a confused look.

"Oh Nanako! Did I wake you?"

Dojima asked his daughter who didn't say anything at first, then asked her father.

"Did something happen to Mr. Fox's home?"

Dojima didn't know what to say but he couldn't lie to his daughter no matter what.

"Yes…. I'm afraid some bad people burned up the shrine."

Rather than cry or pout as any other child she asked her father one more question.

"Are you going there now? I'm going too!"

Dojima had to smile at the look his daughter was giving him, and he gave in to her demands as they left that moment.

"This is terrible! After Nana-chan's hard work!"

The rest of the team had also heard about the fire and had gathered together at what remained of their hard work. Kanji had nearly gone mad trying to find

the punks who had done this but thankfully Rise managed to subdue him. Moments later they heard a car pull up and saw Dojima and Nanako arrive. Nanako

took one look at the remains of the shrine before she started to sob, making it hard for everyone else not to do the same. She was forced to stop thought

when she heard a familiar yelp and she ran off to find the source of it. . She found it under a pile of rubble as she found the fox under said rubble with a lot of

wounds. Nanako gasped as she called the others to help and thanks to Kanji the animal was freed. However once they saw how badly hurt the fox was

Nanako began to sob. It hurt them all to see the normally cheerful girl in bad spirits but seeing as the fox was badly cut up and burnt. Not to mention one of

its hind legs were broken so it wasn't a pretty bad shape. Nanako went to help the creature and she asked her father something he'd never expect her to ask.

"Daddy…can we keep him?"

Dojima froze t the question and began to think on it. The animal may have been something of a friend/pet to his daughter but it was still a wild animal. Who

knows what it'd do while in his home, even if it was a bit tame. But he couldn't say no to his daughter once she gave him "the look" he had to agree.

"Ok… ask Tatsumi or Hanamura to help put him in the car. But this is only until he's healed understood?"

Nanako beamed and nodded rapidly as Kanji helped carefully bring the fox into Dojima's car. The others felt a bit better but Naoto was still concerned about

the shrine, was this entire incident a random act of violence? Or was it something far more sinister? Before the detective prince could investigate further

Nanako walked up to her and asked her.

"Naoto? Could you help me bandage Mr. Fox? Kanji said you know a lot about that!"

Naoto was caught off guard for a second by this and gave Kanji a death glare as she kindly followed Nanako to the waiting car to help tend to the fox's

wounds. Upon seeing the fox Naoto mind was made up, this wasn't a simple act of vandalism. The fox had been beaten and cut, showing that someone had

stuck around as the shrine burned to stop the defender AKA the fox. The animal was still alive but it was in bad shape meaning it had gotten hurt while

fighting something, as appose to harm from the environment. Naoto would have voiced this to Dojima but he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts at the

moment. Seeing as Nanako was helping the fox Naoto had to stop thinking on the case and help the young Dojima tend to her pet.

"I think that thing's staring at me again."

Dojima thought to himself a few days later. After investigating the scene with his new partner, a female rookie by the name of Ayumi Nasagi, Dojima had

arrived at the same conclusion as Naoto. Something had happened at the shrine but as of yet nothing concrete had shown up, so he'd been focusing on his

other problem: the fox. Nanako had tended to the animal well and had grown rather found of it. However it seemed that the fox stared at Dojima every time

he was in range, as if judging the man. He found himself silently wishing for the day it left his house to come sooner. He was currently working on a case

when the doorbell rang and he answered it find Ayumi. To be honest Dojima found her very attractive (he'd never admit that) as she was a bit shorter than

him, had a slender build, and had chestnut hair eerily similar to his deceased wife's. She was far too bubbly for his liking but compared to Adachi she was

good enough, that and the fact that she'd taken a liking to Nanako as if she was her own child.

"Hi Dojima-san sir! I came to tell you we've found some clues as to the perps on the shrine case!"

He nodded and would have set off then but Ayumi noticed Nanako playing with the fox and smiled.

"Hi there Nanako-chan! How's your patent doing?"

Nanako giggled at this and cheerfully replied.

"He's fine Miss Ayumi! Have fun on your date with dad!"

After the young girl said this both adults blushed and Dojima told his daughter.

"N-Nanako! Where'd you get such a ridiculous idea?"

The young girl, no noticing the awkward tension in the room, resumed petting the fox as she calmly answered.

"From you, I heard you tell one of your friends that you thought Miss Ayumi was cute!"

Ayumi began to blush at that and Dojima tried to deny it.

"Nanako! I said no such-"

Before it could leave his mouth Dojima and his partner were pushed out the door by the little girl who smiled as she told them.

"Don't stay out too late!"

**And on that note chapter over! Review!**


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